Thorns revised
by hannirose
Summary: I almost had to fight Gary for you.-Jonathan, A:TFA. What if Jon hadn't been Alanna's knight-master. What if it had been Gary? This is the revised version, and very much improved!
1. Chapter One

_Plot: "I almost had to fight Gary for you." --Jonathan, A:TFA. What if Gary had picked 'Alan' to be his squire?_

_Author's Note: Okay. So when I originally started this story there's something you must know: I SUCKED AT WRITING. Yes, I admit to it freely. I was a crappy writer. So when I finally realized it I gave it up. Now looking back I see that I really would like to try again. So please, read on, I promise it will be better this time._

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

* * *

**Thorns **

**By: Hannirose **

"Alan? May I speak with you for a moment?" Gareth of Naxen was nervous. He was hardly ever nervous, and especially not around his good friend Alan of Trebond. But today Gary needed to ask his friend an important question.  
Alan, a small red -headed boy with bright purple eyes, nodded amiably, then frowned slightly seeing the worried looked on Gary's normally smiling face. They stopped and the group walked on without them, as they did Prince Jonathan, another good friend of his, sent Gary an encoraging smile.  
Gary turned to look at Alan who looked confused. "What's the matter?" Alan asked hesitantly. Gary shifted his weight nervously and took a deep breath. Letting it out he looked his friend full in the eyes.  
"Well...I've been doing a lot of thinking lately." "Bad for your health," Alan teased with a grin. Gary chuckled and grinned weakly, then he continued,  
"And I came to the conclusion that I think it would be...beneficial to have a squire." Gary saw Alan blink in surprise and hone his attention in completely on Gary. "Anyway...I thought that, if you wanted to...would you be my squire?" He winced at the way the words came out.  
Alan's violet eyes grew large. You would think that he would jump at the chance to be the squire of his good friend. But Alan of Trebond had a secret. For 'Alan' was a girl. In truth 'Alan's name was Alanna of Trebond. She had been masquerading as a boy since she was ten years old when she had decided to walk the path of knighthood rather than become a simpering court decoration. But Gary didn't know this. Only a few people knew her secret, for she had gaurded it well.  
Alanna looked after her friend's retreating figures. In her heart of hearts she knew that she had been secretly dreaming that the Prince would choose her to be his squire. She looked back at Gary, who was looking as though he was ready to bolt. While Gary did not know her secret he was a good man, and her first friend in the palace. She considered everything she knew of him and realized that her friend would not betray her.  
Alanna let a grin break out on her small face. Gary got a hopeful look in his eyes and Alanna said happily,  
"I'm honored to accept." She laughed. "I didn't think anyone would choose a little runt like me to be their squire. I expected to be stuck with a desk knight for a few months at least!" Gary let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding, in a rush of air. He smiled widely and held out his hand to his new squire.  
"I wouldn't have asked anyone else.

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Inside Alanna's mind her thoughts were whirling. On one hand she was overjoyed at the thought of having Gary as her knight master. It would mean that she got to spend time with her friend, and also have a knight master she could be proud of. But on the other hand...how could she keep her secret from being found out?  
Only a small amount of people knew her secret. One of which was Jon, he had found out only a short while ago when they had snuck out of their rooms and rode to the Black City. There they had fought the Ysandir, and beathen them with the help of the great Mother Goddess. But in the process one of the Immortals had managed to make Alanna's clothes disapere, leaving her only in her belt and scabbard. Only a blind man wouldn't have been able to tell that her gender was not what she had always told them. And Prince Jonathan was not blind. But he had kept quiet, as Alanna was his friend and had saved his life.  
If Gary found out about her true identity Alanna felt sure that he would keep quiet. But...if he didn't, or if someone else found out, she would be sent home in shame. Alanna couldn't bear the thought of lying to Gary any longer. She already felt guilty for having to lie to the whole palace. But to her knight-master...she could not lie to him. She wondered to herself whether or not Gary could possibly already know. She knew He was always respectful of her, and for that she respected him.  
"Gary..." Alanna reached out and touched his arm. Biting her lip nervously she stammered, "I-I need to tell you-" But was cut off as Jonathan and the rest of her friend's bounded down the hallway.  
"Did she?" Raoul panted, then seeing the grin on Gary's face, crowed, "She did!" He slapped Alanna on the back who bent forward under the weight, sometimes Raoul seemed to forget his own strength. "This is wonderful!" He exclaimed, happily slinging his arm around Gary and Alanna.  
Gary laughed at his friend's antics. He pushed Raoul's arm off of him,  
"Be still you over-active buffoon." He commanded in a mock serious voice, but his sparkling eyes gave him away. "Alan, what were you saying?" He asked, looking down at his new squire fondly.  
"Nothing..." Alanna said quietly.  
Gary talked the whole way through supper, eagerly telling Alanna how him and Raoul and Jon had fought hard over who would ask her to be their squire.  
"Jon thought he should have you, but Raoul and I both agreed that it wasn't fair for him to get everything just because he's the prince." Alanna felt a slight swoop in her stomach at these words. Jon had wanted her as his squire. Looking up at Gary's eager face she felt her lips turn upwards. Being Jon's squire was a lot of responsibility, she told herself. Think of all the boring meetings you would have had to go to. Besides, Gary would treat her well, and he always managed to make her laugh.  
"I'm glad that you did." Alanna said lightly, "just imagine if I'd been picked by some desk-knight." "Or worse," Raoul voiced, with a wicked grin, "a librarian." Seeing his friend's puzzled looks he added, "Alan would be hard pressed to reach the shelves!" The other boy's laughed as Alanna jumped on Raoul's back, attempting, and failing, to tackle the boy to the ground.

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The evening Alanna was busy unpacking her things into her new room right next to Gary's. She whistled softly as she folded to clothes. Her cat, Faithful _((Yes, she still went and got the manuscripts for Sir Myles even though she wasn't Jon's page))_ watched her, idly licking his paws and occasionally throwing out snarky comments.  
The room was bigger than her old room, and had big south facing windows. In accompinament to her weapons she also had a spare wrack for Gary to keep any other's of his. There was an ajoining door on the left wall that connected to Gary's room. She heard a knock on the door to the hallway outside and heard it swing open. She turned to see Jon standing in the doorway, his arms crossed casually across his chest. He regarded Alanna thoughtfully for a minute, then breaking the silence said,  
"So...how're you going to tell him?" Alanna bit her lip. She ushered the prince inside and closed the door with a snap. She sighed, rubbing her aching head.  
"I'm not sure." She said quietly, "I'm going to have to, though." She felt the guilt that she always felt due to her lying to all her friend here whell up inside of her. She shook her head, as if trying to banish the thoughts from her mind.  
Jon nodded shortly. He inspected his fingernails and said in a would-be casual voice,  
"You know, I was going to ask you to be my squire. But I've always been a bit of a push-over," He smiled to himself, still looking intently at his hands, "bad habit for a King to be." He sighed and sat on Alanna's bed with a soft thump. "I guess I didn't really think that anyone else would want you." He winced and said hurridley, "not that you aren't a great squire, I just mean that...well, I kind of always expected that you would be my squire." Alanna sat down on the bed next to him, training her gaze on his twiddling thumbs. She tried to figure out just how she felt about this news. She had wanted to be Jon's squire so badly, and now she found out that if she had waited just a little longer she could have been. Alanna looked up at Jon. He sat with stiff good posture, having it been schooled into him since his early years. He would have made an amazing knight-master, but as much as she admired Jon she always had more fun with Gary. Felt more like herself.  
"I don't know what to say, Jon." Alanna said uncertainly, "I'm sorry, I guess." She looked up into Jon's blue eyes and saw him smile ruefully,  
"I suppose that teaches me a lesson on procrastinating." Alanna laughed at this. "So who should I choose then? To be my squire, since you're much too popular to be the likes of my squire." Alanna snorted at this and thought for a moment,  
"Geoffrey of Merron is a good man," she grinned, "and a marvelous cook, something you never would have gotten from me.  
Jon nodded, "I think you're right." He stood and walked to the door. Before he slipped out the room he said quietly, "Gary won't betray you, Alanna. Trust him."

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After nearly two hours of battling back and forth withself and an hour more of trying to figure out the right way to tell him, Alanna knocked lightly on the door joining her room to Gary's.  
"Come in." Gary called through. Alanna braced herself and entered the room. Gary sat at his desk, writing what appered to be a letter. He set down his quill and smiled at Alanna.  
"Alan! What a pleasent surprise." He noticed Alanna biting her lip to the point of bleeding. He said mildly, "did you know that in some countries it's illegal for knights to inflict self-injury? I believe knights in Tusaine are hung by their hands in the hog barn for a day if caught doing so." Alanna snorted at this and stopped biting her lips. She smiled sheepishly. Then taking a deep breath she fixed her gaze resolutely on the floor,  
"Gary...I haven't been completely honest with you." She said bluntly, to the floor, of course. She studied the stone beneath her, "I feel that I need to tell you the truth now, before it's too late for you to backout, if you want to." Gary leaned forward and started to say something before Alanna held up a hand.  
"Please." She said, "if you stop me, I might not be able to start again. So please just listen. Gary leaned back slowly in his chair, but didn't say anymore.  
"I've been keeping a secret for a long time. See...you think that I'm Alan of Trebond, one in a pair of twin boys. But in truth I a--" Just then came a knock on the door, and the voice of Timon, a manservent at the palace, called through.  
"'scuse me, my lords, but I'm 't bring Master Gary 't his Grace." Gary's father, Duke Gareth of Naxen, the elder, was the head teacher of the boy's training to be knights.  
Gary called,  
"Thank you Timon, I'll be there in a moment." When Timon's footsteps retreated Gary looked back at Alan, who was looking even more uncomfortable than before.  
"Alan, are you all right? You look-" "I'm fine." Alanna interrupted him. "I'll be here when you get back." Seeing him hesitate she tried to smile brightly, "Go on then." Gary looked resistant to leave, but stood slowly after a moment.  
"This shouldn't take long." He said, looking confused and worried. "When I come back, we can talk, okay?  
Alanna nodded, and Gary slipped from the room. Alanna waited until he was out of ear shot and burying her head in his pillow growled in rage. Faithful waltzed through the ajoining door and disdainfully started washing his paws.  
That didn't seem to go so well. He commented, sarcasm heavy in his voice. Alanna glared at the little creature,  
"This is hard enough without your sass." She snarled at the cat who glared at her, flicking his tail in an irritated manner. Alanna sighed and said, "I'm sorry. I just...don't know any easy way to do this." Just tell him the truth as fast as you can. The cat suggested. Get it over with. What's the worst that could happen?  
The little feline trotted daintily out of Gary's room and back into Alanna's. Alanna frowned after the beast,  
"The truth isn't always as easy as it sounds." She said with a moan and flopped her head back into the pillow.

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Author's Note: Yes, the first chapter is short. But I am going to try to post the next chapter tomorrow, or sometime this week. I hope you enjoy the new and improved version of Thorns! 


	2. Chapter Two

_Authors Note: I like to give special thank-you's to everyone who has reviewed, so here we go:_

_Random Anonomous Person: NI! Filthy English k-nig-its! A wet noodling lashing on my arse sounds particularly uncomfortable, in fact that was the only reason I updated, because I was afraid of a lashing. Thanks for reviewing!  
Waterfaerie15:Thank you! Hope you like this next chapter.  
Menelien: Oops, you're right. My bad. Thanks for catching that one. And thank you very much for reviewing!  
Piglet12345: Aww, thanks! I hope that I'm not a bad author, although that first one was pretty rusty. Hopefully I can do Tamora Pierce proud with this improved version.  
Jollyrancher-j2k: Hah, sorry to break it to you, but this will be an eventual Alanna/Gary fic. She tells him in this very chapter, so read on! Thank you for reviewing!  
Mailiaphire: Thank you! I'm glad that you like it so far. I hope you'll keep on reading!  
PussinBoots: Thank you very muchly! I'm glad you liked it._

_Hope you all enjoy this chapter, in this one Alanna tells Gary!_

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**CHAPTER TWO**

Gary walked slowly down the hall, his head nearly spinning with confusion. Not from his father, he had only wanted to congratulate his son on his choice of squire. No, the person that was making Gary's mind spin was Alan. What was it that his new squire was so afraid to tell him? It couldn't be all that bad...could it? Eager to hear what it was that Alan had to say Gary picked up his pace and hurried back to his room.  
Alanna paced nervously, waiting for Gary to come back. She HAD to tell him...didn't she? Or could she keep it secret? Yes! That was what she would do, he would never have to find out about her lie. Alanna stopped mid-pace and shook her head, imagine Gary's reaction when it finally DID come out. When she finally admitted to her true self, how could she stand knowing that Gary knew his squire had lied to him for four years? Alanna moaned and sunk onto Gary's bed. She had no choice, she had to tell him. Besides, knowing my luck he'd open the door on me sometime whilst I was unclothed, and wouldn't that be a nasty surprise  
Alanna jumped as the door swung open and Gary re-entered the room. She felt her heart begin to race and swallowed nervously.  
"Sorry about that, Alan." Gary said with an easy smile. (Tough truth be told, inside his stomach was churning with nerves) "Father simply wanted to congratulate me on my choice of squire, I think his words were 'one of the best fencers at court', or something along those lines." He grinned at his friend who blushed.  
"Gary," she began, trying to keep her voice steady. "Remember how I needed to tell you something? Well, I, uh..." She trailed off, searching for the right way to put it. Failing, she just blurted it out. "I'm a girl. I'm sorry I lied to you, I never wanted to lie, but I couldn't have been a knight any other way and..." She trailed off. "I'm sorry." She finished miserably.

She glanced up from her hands to see Gary staring at her with wide eyes. " Mithros, Alan! That's your secret?" He fought to keep his voice quiet. Alanna nodded miserably and returned her gaze to her hands which were laced tightly in her lap.  
She looked up slowly to meet Gary's eyes. His were confused and hesitant. He gave a nervous bark of laughter,  
"Very funny, Trebond. But you've been swimming with us--" He stopped abruptly, remembering Alan's unwillingness to swim. In fact...he never took his shirt off. Never, not in the hottest of weathers. He looked up from his hands, complete bewilderment on his open face. "But HOW?" He burst out. Then realizing how loud he was he continued in a quieter tone, "what about your father and brother? Do they know?" Alanna was almost as shocked as Gary was. Because as she looked at her friend's face she saw only confusion and amusement, not the horrified expression she had expected to see. Suddenly Alanna realized she could breath again and sucked clean air into her lungs to clear her head.  
"I'll tell you everything." She promised, "but first I have to ask. Do you-uh-do you still want me to be your squire?" She bit her lip, then added in a quick rush of words, "because I understand if you don't. Because I know I lied to you and I'm so sorry." Gary sat next to her on the bed with a thump. He started to look like the easy-going unruffled Gary that she knew. He reached up his big hand and ruffled her hair lightly.  
"Of course I still want you as my squire, you dupp. I'm just a little...shocked. But you're still the person that I asked before. Just...uhm...a bit more...female." He ended lamely. Then he laughed, and Alanna felt a smile break onto her face. Gary added. "But I am going to have to know your true identity. It would be awkward to have a squire who's name was unknown." Alanna smiled. "The name's Alanna of Trebond. Twin SISTER to Thom of Trebond. 'Alan' started when our father told us that I was to be sent to the convent and Thom was to come here to be a knight.  
Gary bit his lip to stifle a laugh, imagining "Alan" in a dress. Alanna guessed his thoughts and punched his shoulder. But secretly was glad he was laughing again. "So we switched. Well, almost. Thom's not becoming a lady, but a sorcerer at the City of the Gods. And I am came here. As Alan."

Gary and Alanna talked long into the night, and Gary was able to piece together the many odd things he had noticed about his friend.  
"So Alan-Alanna...er...Mithros, that's going to take some getting used to." Alanna laughed,  
"Don't get used to it. I'm still going to have to be Alan when we're around anyone other than Jon or George.  
Gary nodded,  
"You're secret's safe with me." He sat in silence for a moment then let out a long, low whistle.  
"Well, label me dumbfounded. Whoever said that girls couldn't fight as well as men were mightily mistaken. I mean, look what you did to Ralon! And you were a girl all along." He stared at Alanna who laughed. He grinned and said happily, "I can't WAIT to see all their faces when they find out!" Alanna laughed at this, and found that inspite of everything she had thought, it was actually somewhat funny. It didn't seem so much like the life and death situation that she had been convinced it was.  
Gary's only insistence was that when they were alone he was going to call her Alanna, despite her worries that he might one day slip. They parted after the bells rang midnight, and slept for a few hours before meeting up again in his rooms in the morning. After a while Jon knocked on the door. Coming in and seeing them both smiling and laughing he was pleased. They all talked long, and laughed over what seemed like a great jest to Gary and Jon.  
The only slightly awkward moment was when Gary asked how she had managed to hide her female body. Then realized suddenly that while "Alan" hadn't gone swimming with them, she had been there watching them the whole time. But unlike Jon's initial reaction, Gary just laughed all the more and brushed it away without a second thought. They talked for most of the day, spending all the hours but for meals in Gary's room, laughing and thinking about the reactions people would have when they found out.

The next morning Alanna woke early, as usual, although she didn't technically have to rise until her Knight Master did.  
She was dressed and reading at her little desk when she heard a light tapping on the door adjoined to hers. She hollered for Gary to come on in and folded her book carefully as not to lose her place.  
She turned to face a very wide-awake and active Gary. She moaned at the sight of his cheeriness.  
"I forgot that my squire was not a morning person. It would figure that I would get the one who bites off peoples heads if messed with before noon." Alanna glared at him and yawned widely. Rising, she crossed to her night-stand and splashed water on her face from the bowl sitting there. She turned to see Gary watching her intently. She folded her arms and asked in a grumpy manner,  
"What?" Gary shook his head. Then said jovially,  
"I was thinking that maybe we could visit George today. What do you think? Unless you've been into more trouble since yesterday you don't have any current punishment work." Alanna was more than willing, but first there were some things they had to attend to. Such as, Gary had noticed that some of Alanna's weapons were not in the best condition. Her dagger was rather blunt, and he informed her that she needed a new lance, seeing as hers was quite battered.  
After they had eaten breakfast and ordered her new weapons from the armory, Gary, Alanna, Jon, and Raoul headed down towards the Dancing Dove to visit the King of the Rogue.

George smiled broadly upon seeing the boys (and in Alanna's case, girl) come into the pub. He hollered at old Solom to bring ale from the "parched young lads" and gestured for them all to take a seat.  
"So what's this I hear about Gary getting a new red-headed squire?" He questioned with a twinkle in his hazel eyes, "I hear this squire's got quite the temper on 'im." George knew Alanna's secret, of course, but for the sake of Raoul, the only one present who did not know, he kept Alanna's guise. He raised his tankard to Gary, "I wish ye luck. Ye'll need it with this lad." He winked at Alanna as he drank.  
Later, while Gary and Jon and Raoul were playing a game of cards with the local thieves, Alanna and George slipped up to his rooms.  
"So are ye happy havin' Gary as ye're Knight Master? I know ye were sort of hoping Jon would pick ye." Gary said as he handed Alanna a tumbler of water. Alanna accepted it with a nod of thanks.  
"I was." She said slowly, "but I am happy with Gary. He's a good man, and he's always been a good friend to me. Besides, Jon needs someone who can go with him to meetings and not get bored out of her skull. You know I have no patience for those types of things.  
George smiled and and pulled out a chair from her before sitting down himself.  
"He's a good lad. Truth be told, I knew he was goin' 't ask ye. He asked if I thought ye would agree 't it." "Oh?" Alanna asked, mildly curious, "and what, pray tell, did you tell him?" "I told him he was a right fool for wanting one the likes of ye to be his squire, and encouraged him 't ask all the same.  
Alanna stuck out her tongue at the Rogue, who grinned and stood. Alanna stood to. He led her back down to the Inn and to her friends.

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_Author's Notes: Again, not a particularly long chapter but right now I'm working on getting them out improved and quickly. Hope you enjoyed it!_


	3. Chapter Three

_PussinBoots: Thank you very muchly for reviewing. This chapter is a lot longer, or at least I think it is. I hope you like it!_

_imogenhm: Thank you! Here's another chapter, longer than the other two! I hope you'll continue reading._

_jollyrancher-j2k: Ahh, I'm totally with you on that one. I seemed to have missed that, or at least they didn't do it in my town. I don't think I could be silent for a whole day though, I can barely be quiet for five minutes. Congrats to you! And thank you for reviewing!_

_Waterfaerie15: Thank you. I thought that I would try my best to keep it the same as I could totally see him having that reaction. Gary is a lot of fun to write. I hope you'll keep reading!_

_AnnmarieAspasia: Thank you for the constructive feedback. I do tend to ramble on about some things sometimes, I'll try to keep from doing that too much. Hope you'll keep reading!_

_Guacamole13: Hah, sorry I couldn't get an update up the very next day, but I hope this longer chapter will make up for it. Thank you for reviewing!_

_queen-of-sapphires: Thank you!_

_Sand Panda: Wow, your review was great. I really loved all the advice. You're right, while in books it's handy to have refreshers people don't need them if they're reading fanfics. I'm going to try to be really careful with Gary and Alanna's relationship. She was a guy to him for many years so it's going to progress slowly. The reason that I made Gary nervous was because he knew that she had wanted Jon to ask her to be his squire, I guess I didn't really make that clear. I'll take note on all your hints to make this fanfic flow, I really appreciate it! Thank you so much, I hope you'll keep reading!_

_Speaky: SPEAKY! glomp Glad you liked it, Lovie._

_Avchocaholic: Yeah, several people have said this. I'll try to figure that out, thank you for reviewing!_

_epobbp: Thanks! Here's the update below._

_Devious Sorceress: Yeah, I always loved Gary, he's really very funny. I'm not sure if I'm going to have George like her, probably not, even though I adore George and would marry him myself in an instant, because the plot might get too wrapped up in the love triangle rather than action. Maybe though, we'll see! Thanks!_

_Skysong: Thank you! I'll fix the spacing. I hope you'll like this next chapter!_

_Disclaimer- I don't own it...Oh wait, I own the town of Kent, so far as I know, and Sir Vernon._

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**CHAPTER THREE**

Alanna sat in her room, struggling through a sheet of mathmatics. She grimaced and rubbed at her head. She heard a knock on the door between her room and Gary's.

"PLEASE let this be the Goddess, coming to reward me for all the hard work I've done." She called by way of greeting. Gary laughed and siddled into her room. He sat down on the window sill.

I would offer to help, oh diligent squire," He said, "But alas, I am quite helpless at mathematics, as you well know." Alanna snorted and idlly drew a sword on the edge of her blotted paper.

"Mithros, I'm tired." She moaned. Then straightened and turned to face Gary, "Hey, I've been meaning to ask you. Are we going somewhere soon?" Gary cocked an eyebrow at the girl,

"Am I that bad with stealth?" He inquired with a grimace.

"Well," Alanna said with a rueful shrug, "I couldn't help but notice you had gotten out your bags and camping gear."

Gary laughed,  
"There is a tournament coming up in Kent soon. I thought maybe I could try my luck there, I'm eager for a change of scenery, I must admit. And if you wanted to, you could always enter yourself, I'll wager that you could beat most in sword play." Alanna blushed at the compliment and said,

"Sounds like a fun challenge. I'm up for it. When is the tournament?" "It's a week from now. It's around a four day ride to Kent, with no unforeseen problems, so if you really do want to go we should probably leave within the next few days."

Alanna woke early the next morning. Alanna felt that spending the day curled by the fire with a book would have been preferable to a long ride, but she gritted her teeth and put on the warmest clothes she could wear whilst still be able to clutch her reins. She dressed quickly, groaning softly to herself over the cold moist weather. She heard a gentle knock on her door and opened it to find Gary, awake and dressed.

"Ready, youngling?" He teased. Alanna lifted her nose at him and said pertly,

"Ready when you are, my LORD." She was surprsied to see a slight blush stain her friends cheeks. Before she could comment he said quickly,

"All right then. Let's get some breakfast in the great hall before we leave. Goodness knows that we could use some warm food in our bellies on a day like today." When they reached the great hall Alanna saw Jon and Geoffrey of Meron sitting at one of the long tables drinking strong black coffee. After Gary and Alanna got their food they slid onto the bench next to them.

"Geoffrey has just agreed to be my squire." Jon announced proudly. Geoffrey grinned at them and confided in a soft whisper to Alanna,

"I was really surprised! I didn't expect this to happen, I can tell you that for certain." He smiled happily.  
Alanna smiled, genuinely happy for the both of them, and took a big bite of her steaming oatmeal.

They set off soon after eating, and around noon the weather cleared to a brisk but dry day. Alanna felt almost giddy with excitement. She was off to her first tournament with a good friend, what more could she ask for?

"So, Alanna, tell me about your brother." Gary suggested after a quarter hour of riding, and Alanna launched into a description of her brother and her childhood in Trebond. Gary laughed partiulary hard at her stories of dunking Thom in the duck pond. Time passed quickly as they swapped stories and before long it was time to get a room at the nearest Inn and turn in for the night.

They found a respectable inn named the Glove and Cross. They were both extremely tired from an early start and a long day of riding, so they ate together in the room they had rented for the night. There was an awkward moment when it came time to change and go to bed, but Gary quickly left the room to give Alanna her privacy. She changed quickly and turned to the wall and fixed her eyes firmly on the wood while Gary changed. She sighed contently and snuggled down into the covers and promptly fell into a deep slumber.

Suddenly in the middle of the night she awoke to a shriek and the sound of Gary falling out of his bed. She jumped quickly out of her bed and conjuring some magic light to her palm called,

"Gary? Are you all right?"

"Yes." Gary croaked, he was panting as though he had been running for miles, not simply sleeping.

Alanna crept over to Gary's bed, trying to be quiet and not trip over anything in the dimly lit room. She kneeled on the floor next to him. Until she realized we wore only a loincloth and quickly jumped up, glad of the dark to hide the blush that burned on her cheeks.

Gary sat up and pulled on a pair of breeches. He gulped at the air and put his head in his large hands.

"What was it?" Alanna asked in a low voice. Gary swallowed and said simply,

"The Chamber." Alanna didn't ask anymore, knowing that Gary could not tell her his dream, for anything seen in the Chamber was not to be spoken of. Gary shivered slightly.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Alanna questioned, feeling helpless. Gary looked down at his hands and said softly,

"Could you...will you stay here for a while?" Alanna nodded and sat on the bed next to him.

"Is it really that awful?" She asked, even though she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer.  
Gary nodded and gulped down some water from the pitcher next to his bed.

"The Chamber finds your weakest point. And it just... rips it out and shoves it in your face. It's like the most realistic nightmare you'll ever face." He shivered and instinctively Alanna wrapped her arms around him, and then pulled back quickly.  
Gary watched her in the soft glow of her magic. His mouth twitched and he chuckled. Alanna looked at him quickly,

"Just what is so funny, might I ask?" Gary flushed and said,

"It's just that...it's really odd to see..." He touched his chest and Alanna felt her cheeks burn. "It's just different seeing as you've been a man up until a few days ago." Alanna smacked his arm lightly, just was glad that he was smiling again. "I may be a girl." She said, "but we'll see if you think it's so funny when I put something nice and slimy in your bed tomorrow night!" She said, striving for a light uncaring tone.

She was gratified to see Gary blush himself, but then he grinned and pushed her easily off the edge of the bed. Alanna stuck her tongue out at him and cuffed on the side of the head before making her way back toward her bed.

"Goodnight Gary. We'll make an early start in the morning?" She asked climbing back beneath her covers

"Yes. Bright and early. If we're lucky we may make it in time not to have to camp and be able to stay in an Inn somewhere." Alanna nodded and snuggled deeper into her blankets. She hoped that Gary would have no more dreams haunting him. She fell asleep instantly.

Gary on the other hand stayed up late into the night thinking about a certain red-hair friend of his.

The next morning Alanna woke before Gary did. She got up and dressed before the sun broke into the sky. She practiced in the court yard with her sword for an hour or so until the grumblings in her stomach protested another movement. She went back into the Inn dining area and ordered a hearty breakfast.

She was just getting her food when Gary came down. He sat down next to her and yawned.

"Tired, master Gary? Been up with the ladies all night?" Alanna teased, Gary moaned in reply and mumbled,

"It's too early for you to be up to your tricks, Alan-Alanna." He stumbled slightly over her name.

Alanna bit her lip, surprised to find tears welling in her eyes, unfortunately Gary noticed and handed her a tissue with worry in his eyes.

"What is it?" He asked in a kind low voice. Alanna wiped her eyes and smiled at him a bit sadly.

"It's just kind of odd for me too. I mean, it's all so different now." She said mournfully. Gary placed a hand on her shoulder and said,

"And some things are just the same. Alanna, you'll always be my friend no matter who you are."

They took their leave not long after that. Gary's horse, Strider (_AN: If Gary's horse has a name I've forgotten it. Let me know if he does and I'll fix it.)_ and Moonlight, Alanna's mare, were freshly groomed and well rested. They made good pace until the afternoon when they decided to stop for their meal.

Alanna plopped down uncerimoniously on the grassy ground. She yawned widely, sudden tiredness washing over her. She glanced at Gary to see him yawn long and hard too. He sat on the ground next to her and fumbled with their pack, trying to find the food,

"My, I'm tired." He said mid-yawn. Alanna nodded and was about to agree and ask what food was for their noon meal, when Gary suddenly slumped over and fell into a deep slumber. Alanna jumped to her feet. She sneezed five times, she cursed as she eyes watered over.

_ "Greetings, my child." said a voice that was beautiful and horrible at the same time, it almost sounded like hounds braying. Alanna looked up to see the most beautiful woman. She gulped and said in a trembling voice,  
"Great Mother..." She stared at the Goddess who smiled slightly,  
"I know that it has not been long, child, but I have need to speak to you again. There are some difficult tasks ahead of you, things I would not have you face if it were up to me. But I'm afraid there is no choice." Alanna opened her mouth uncertainly, but the Goddess cut her off,  
"I cannot tell you what they are, nor how you cannot defeat it, all I can do is to tell you that you are strong, my daughter. Do not forget this, faith in yourself will take you a long way." The Goddess leaned forward and kissed Alanna lightly on the head, who felt a jolt of electricity go through her. When she opened her eyes the Goddess was gone.  
Alanna blinked and felt all the tiredness leave her. She looked down to see Gary opening his eyes in a dazed way.  
"Wha-" He began then stopped, blinking dazedly. "I must of fallen asleep." He said, slowly, more to himself than Alanna.  
Alanna looked into the trees, her violet eyes troubled. She said softly,  
"You didn't sleep long."_

They travled the rest of the day with no mishaps, and by evening they had arrived in the town of Kent. They searched and quickly found a respectable Inn to stay the night at. They went in and while Alanna stabled the horses Gary asked the man if they had a room with two beds.  
"'Fraid not." The Inn keeper said with a grin, "We're mostly booked due to the tournament, it's doing wonders for business. We only have a one bed room left. But surely ye're squire could sleep on the floor?" The man suggested. Gary hesitated a moment then nodded,  
"That'll work just fine." He said easily.

Alanna rapped on the door.  
"Going to let your wet hungry squire in?" She called through. She heard Gary's footsteps approach and the door swung open. She stepped easily into the room. She let out a sigh of relief and flopped onto the bed.  
"Nice place." She commented, "Cozy and..." She blinked. One bed? She pulled a gold Noble from the pouch on her waist.

"Flip you for the bed," she offered. "Knights shouldn't get all the profits." Gary snorted at this.

"I'm much too tired to argue." He considered the girl for a moment then shrugged, "Why don't we just share? I promise to take up only the smallest amount I can manage, and you're no bigger than a toddler, so it should work just fine." He ducked quickly to avoid getting hit by the shoe Alanna threw at him. He stood back up and tisked at the girl.

"Temper, Alanna. We'll need to work on that one." Alanna yawned widely, her jaw cracking. "Work can be saved for another day." She said simply.

"C'mon, Master Gary, you'll need a good nights rest if you're going to knock some foolish boys into oblivion." She then proceeded to lie down on one corner of the mattress and fell promptly into a deep sleep. Gary smiled and laid down with his back just brushing Alanna's.

"The next competitor will be Sir Gareth of Naxen against Sir Veron of Heather Gap." The announcer crowed to the eager crowd who roared with anticipation. Alanna handed Gary's sword up to him. She gave the knight a grin and said cheerily,

"Beat him to the ground, Gary!" Gary grinned, a bit nervously, and pulled his horse into position.

"I plan on it." He informed his friend. He heard the whistle blow and kicked his heels into his horses' flanks. Together they thundered down the field towards his competitor. The first run, Gary hit the side of Veron's shield and skidded off without any harm done. The other knight, Veron, managed to clip the edge of Gary's sheild but failed to make impact enough to unhorse Gary.

On the second run Veron hit Gary's shield straight on and his lance shattered into splinters of wood. Gary managed to stay horsed, though failed to hit Vernon. Alanna handed Gary a pitcher of water when he got back to his side, and he gulped it down while Alanna watched Veron laugh with his friends.

"He's slow." She murmured,  
"Hmmm? What was that, Alanna?" Gary asked. Alanna blushed but shrugging she replied,

"He's slow. He doesn't add force until after he's hit the shield, you need to get him before he applies the force."

Gary looked at Alanna consideringly and then looked over at Veron who was getting back on his mount. He nodded, "Thanks, Alan."

He said absently, forgetting her true identity for a moment. Gary shifted into position for the final run and hoisted his shield up in front of him. He brought his lance to cross his mount's neck and waited.

The whistle blew.

Gary urged his mounted into a gallop and thundered down the lane bringing his lance up at the last moment and hitting Veron's shield head-on. His lance shattered due to the impact but Veron flew out of his saddle. He hit the ground with a loud thump and lay still for a moment before sitting up slowly. Suddenly the stadium exploded in cheers, they were as taken by surprise as Gary was at the results, and from the sounds of it just as pleased. Gary rode back over to Alanna who handed him the water with a grin plastered on her face.

Gary won five duels with the lance and won a prize of 200 gold nobles. Alanna watched him with pride as he accepted the trophy. She felt a surge of pride for her friend and yelled and whistled as loud as she could. After the tournament the two of them went back to their room at the Inn. When they got there Gary turned to Alanna and said seriously,

"Alanna. I have a favor to ask of you." Alanna looked curiously up at her friend, then told him that he had only to ask. Gary hesitated then blushing furiously he said in a rush,

"The thing is that there's a ball of sorts tonight, to celebrate the tournament and they want me to come but...pride won't let me go without a date." He said with a rueful smile, his cheeks still a bright red. "So...I was wondering if maybe you would come as my date...as a girl?"

Alanna gaped up at him. She sat down on the bed and gaped again. Gary sat down next to her, looking at her apprehensively.

"You don't have to-I don't have to go and I never really liked court events all that much anyway..." He trailed off. Alanna knew he was lying, she knew he wanted to go. She knew that he wanted to show off a bit. And why shouldn't he? He had won more duels than anyone else had that day. She looked back at Gary, who was looking as though he regretted saying anything at all, and shrugged.

"You'll have to buy me a dress then, Sir Gareth."

* * *

_Authors Note: Okay, another chapter down. Sorry that this one took a bit longer to get up. I added some more things. As you can probably tell I'm not very good at writing the duels, action sequences are difficult for me. Also I just wanted to say that things are going to move sl-ooo-ooo-wly in this story, seeing as Alanna was a boy to Gary for quite a long time. That's not something he can just forget. But I promise, there will be fluff in the future. I mean, hey, they're already going to go on a date!_

_Cheers,  
Hannah_


	4. Chapter Four

_Ahh, you all make my heart sing. Special thanks to you all:_

_jollyrancher-j2k: I'm glad that you don't think it's moving too slowly, or too fast for that matter. I am quite the fan of fluffy love stories so I have to try hard to restrain myself. Read on, oh reviewer, to find the answers to your questions! Thanks!_

_Speaky: huggles Glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing. Here is more, JUST FOR YOU!_

_piglet12345: Whoa, is there an actual real place called Kent? Hah, I thought I just made it up. It did sound slightly familiar. Anyway, it just popped into my mind. No, wish I could say that I live in England, sadly I live in Oregon, USA, which is quite a dull place. Yeah, it's odd to think of her with anyone else, but I'm going to try my best to make it work. Let me know if it doesn't seem to be working, alright? Thanks for reviewing!_

_Andy-c.o: Thanks! Hope you'll like this next chapter!_

_Guacamole13: Thanks, I'm glad you're enjoying it. Sweet fluff is always good! Hope you'll keep reading._

_Pussinboots: It is! Middle name's Rose. Therefore Hannirose. You shall see the answer to your question up next. Thanks for reading!_

_professionaldooropener: I hope that this next chapter will live up to your expectations. Let me know what you think, okay? By the way, great screen name!_

* * *

**CHAPTER FOUR**

"I'm afraid this is the only dress we have for a woman so small in stature, m'lady." The tailor said apoligetically to a disgruntled Alanna. Alanna eyed the dress distastefully,

"It's just rather...low cut." She grumbled. Eyeing the dress distastefully. The tailor shook her head and held out her hands,

"I'm afraid that if I altered it now it would not be ready in time." Alanna sighed and nodded her head.

"I suppose it'll do." She added hastily, "not that it's not a nice dress. It's just...er...not my style." She said with a rueful smile. The tailor nodded, looking relieved.

_Gary is going to regret this,_ Alanna thought grumpily as the tailor carefully wrapped up the emerald colored dress.

Alanna came out of the shop and found Gary looking at swords at a nearby vendor. She gave him the change for the dress and Gary's eyes widened, Alanna, correctly interpreting his look said in a sulky voice,

"They only had one in my size. Be happy with what you have. And Gary," She added with a scowl, "if you ever tell anyone about this I will be forced to castrate you." Gary only laughed and led his disgruntled squire back to the palace.

* * *

"Alanna? Are you ready yet?" 

Gary called through the adjoining door.

In her room Alanna reviewed her reflection. She looked okay, she had to admit, but it was much too girl-ish for her taste. She stuck her tongue out at her reflection.

"I'm coming," she called through the door to Gary, "but first you have to promise you won't laugh."

Gary chuckled and called,

"Ah, it can't be that bad, 'Lana. Come on then, we'll be late. Please?" Still grumbling, Alanna opened the door and stepped into Gary's quarters. Seeing Gary look her up and down she blushed a deep scarlet.

To hide her embarrassment she spun clumsily and asked,

"Well? What do you think?"

The dress was a deep green that somehow brought out the purple in her eyes. It had a full skirt that accented her waist and hips, something Gary had not noticed before. Unfortunately (for Alanna, that is) the cut was on the verge of dangerously low. Her chest was quite obvious.

Had she been in court at home she would have needed to wear a wig, seeing as red hair and purple eyes were not a common combination. But there were few knights that had come from Corus to test their luck, and none that knew her well. So her hair, although short, fell gently and elegantly on her shoulders. Around her neck she wore her ember pendent given to her from the Goddess, though no one knew that save her.

Gary gaped. How could he never have realized she was a girl? Surely this wasn't the Alan of Trebond her had grown up with. Suddenly Gary realized he was staring and blushed an even darker shade of red than Alanna.

"You look...gorgeous." He said gallantly, albeit quite truthfully.

"Thank you, Gary. You look very nice yourself." Alanna said with a slow smile. And he did look nice, he was dressed in a dark blue tunic with gold brocade frosting it's edges. The color made his eyes stand out brightly.

Then Alanna had a sudden thought,

"Gary! I don't know how to dance like a girl!" She said nervously.

"Oh," Gary said, shaking his head, "I hadn't thought of that. Well, we did learn to dance and even though it was as males, you did have to be the girl pretty often seeing as you were the shortest. I think we'll make it. You'll just have to decline all the offers from all your other court catches." He teased.

Alanna swatted at him. Gary grinned then offered her his arm. Alanna took a deep breath and daintily rested her fingers on his cuff.

* * *

"Sir Gareth of Naxen and Lady Alanna of Heather Grove." 

The herald announced as Gary and Alanna swept into the room. Alanan was half expecting gasps of horror and to be sent from the room in disgrace the moment they stepped foot in, but of course, that didn't happen. In fact for the most part no one even looked their way.

"Just pretend your facing another Ralon," Gary murmured softly in Alanna's ear as he felt her hand tighten on his arm. Alanna laughed and relaxed her grip on Gary's arm. When they reached the bottom of the stairs a few other knights and their partners surronded them.

"Welcome, Lady Alanna. It is a pleasure to meet you." One of knights said and kissed Alanna's hand softly. "I am Sir. Coulton of Frebridge." Alanna attempted a curtsy and wobbled a bit and hoped no one had noticed. A few of the ladies drew her aside. Alanna glanced nervously over at Gary who smiled encouragingly at her.

"Ooh lady Alanna," Whispered one of the ladies. She was dressed in a blue gown with a gold silk sash and had long blond hair. She was very beautiful. She said in a silky voice, "How did you manage to get such a man as Sir Gareth? No offense meant, but your fief is a small one."

"I-uh-" Alanna stuttered, not sure how to answer. She glanced at Gary, who was smiling politely to the knight, she never noticed how pretty his eyes were. "I think he just likes me for me." She said a bit pertly. The ladies around her tittered.

Another lady said silkily,

"No man likes a woman just for her personality. Only looks, my dear, and wealth matter to them."

Alanna ground her teeth and bit her tongue, but the words tumbled out of her mouth all the same,

"Maybe YOU are incapable of finding a man that likes intelligent conversation, but I am not unlike you lacking in the brains to fulfill the needs of a man the would like that." She smirked at the shocked expressions on the ladies faces and walked over to Gary. She took his arm again, turning her back on the glaring temptresses. Gary turned and smiled genuinely at her, Alanna smiled back at him. He held out his arm and bowed, his eyes twinkled mischievously.

"Would you like to dance, my good lady?" Alanna snorted in a very unladylike fashion and said with a laugh,

"I'd be delighted to dance with a man such as yourself" She said with a teasing tone. To her amusement the young man blushed. Gary laughed, and led her to the dance floor. The first song was a fast gavotte, where they switched partners several times. Alanna watched the other ladies closely with the corner of her eye, and managed only to step on two men's feet. The next dance was a slow waltz, Gary took Alanna's small hand in his large one and rested one hand softly on her waist. Alanna was surprised to feel a fluttering in her chest when he put his hand on her. She lightly grasped her skirts after a quick glance at the other ladies. When she looked back at Raoul she saw the glimmer of laughter in his eyes and she frowned in mock annoyance,

"What, might I ask, are you laughing at?" Gary just laughed aloud and shook his head, then the music started. They spun in a slow circle. After a while Alanna was able to bring her gaze up from her feet and brought her eyes up to meet Gary's.

"Is it too horrible?" He asked her quietly. Alanna smiled and shook her head,

"Not at all. There's no one I would rather be here with, Gary." She said, meaning every word. Gary was silent for a moment, and gave her a considering look.

"Even Jon?" He asked in what he meant to sound like a light tone. "I know that he wanted you to be his squire." He admitted, his eyes straying from her face. Alanna looked up at him confused.

"Gary," Alanna said, looking confused, "why wouldn't I want to be here? Yes, I did wish to be Jon's squire at first. But I accepted you, didn't I? You can trust me when I say that I am proud and happy to be your squire." Gary smiled and tightened his hold on Alanna's waist. When the dance was over Gary released her slowly.

"Would you like to get something to drink?" Gary asked, Alanna nodded eagerly. Gary escorted her over to the refreshment table. He handed her a glass of wine, which Alanna sipped catiously. The taste was foreign, the bite of the alcohol didn't seem very strong though.  
Gary opened his mouth to say something, then hesitated for a second and said in a quieter voice,

"Maybe...we coud go for a walk in the gardens?" Alanna flushed and said that she would like that. As they walked out to the garden she caught the eyes of one of the women who winked at her and grinned. Alanna bit her lip but couldn't stop from grinning as well.

* * *

Alanna inhaled the fresh night air deep into her lungs. She smiled happily, staring up at the bright stars. She glanced sideways at Gary who was looking off into the distance. They had been out in the night for nearly an hour, talking often but sitting sometimes in a comfortable sleepy silence. 

"What are you thinking?" She asked him quietly. He glanced back at her and smiled.

"Oh, I don't know. I have a lot on my mind, I suppose. I mean, believe it or not I am still trying to get use to the fact that you're a girl." Alanna laughed softly and sighed.

"I guess it was a pretty big shock. I'm sorry I had to lie to you, I never wanted to." Gary nudged her playfully,

"I know that, you prat." Alanna grinned and inclining her neck to stare back up at the sky said,

"I can't believe I'm wearing a _dress_." She said the last word distastefully. Gary snorted and said,

"If it helps at all, you look very nice." Alanna felt her face go bright red and was suddenly very glad for the darkness. She murmered,

"Thank you."

Gary nodded and raised his eyes to the sky as well. He asked,

"So do you like it here? It's not as nice as home, but I like it well enough myself. Corus is...too busy somtimes, if you know what I mean?" Alanna nodded earnestly, and replied.

"I agree. Things move so fast. Seems as if I'll never catch up." Gary looked at her and said,

"You know, it's hard to picture you as my squire. The cranky red-head boy that beat Malven all those years ago..." Alanna looked curiously at him and asked,

"Do you mean that in a good or a bad way?" Gary sighed and ran and hand through his dark hair and murmured,

"Well, mostly just different. I mean, you're still the same person and yet...Alan of Trebond seems a lot different than lady Alanna." Alanna bit her lip and said mournfully,

"I lied to you. All those years." Gary waved a hand, dismissing her words.

"It's not that at all." He said, "It might take a while to get used to, but I will always be your friend, no matter what." Alanna smiled up at him. She said,

"Thank you. That means a lot to me, Gary" Gary smiled and ruffled her hair, Alanna grabbed his arm and twisted it playfully,

"I may be a girl." She said, with her eyes laughing. "But I still know how to defend myself from large men such as yourself."

"Oh, really?" Gary asked with sarcasm in his voice. He twisted out of Alanna's grip, "let's see you defend yourself then," and with that he did something that surprised them both. He leaned down and kissed Alanna quickly on her dry lips. Alanna blinked at him in surprise. She flushed and demanded,

"What was_that_ for?" Gary laughed,

"Just seeing how well you could defend yourself. I'd only give you a two out of ten in defense so far. You'd best be careful Lady Alanna or men will be stealing kisses from you all the time" His dark eyes twinkled merrily. Alanna punched his shoulder, and not lightly either. Gary was so big though that he didn't have more of a response than an eyebrow raise. "Am I that bad a kisser?" He inquired mildly, Alanna could tell he was enjoying this. She blushed,

"No," She said, fighting back a laugh. Then she rolled her eyes and said, " C'mon, Master Gary. Let's go back in." Gary hesitated then nodded,

"Oh, well, all right." Then taking her arm led her back into the hall. They danced once more, then the ball was over. Alanna couldn't say that she wasn't pleased by the prospect of return to her room and to more comfortable clothes. Although, she couldn't say that she hadn't had a good time either.

As they walked back to their room Alanna thought back on the kiss they had just shared. She shivered slightly, she remembered the Goddess's words on love, but she had mentioned Jon. Not Gary. Alanna shook her head slightly. Gary had kissed her only as a joke. He was just teasing her, nothing he wouldn't do to one of his male friends. Well, maybe not kiss. Alanna had a sudden thought,

"Gary! They'll all think you're sleeping with me, if we both go into the same room. Oh, Mithros." Gary looked down at her, an amused look on his handsome face._ -Wait a second-_ Alanna thought to herself, _-since when has Gary been handsome?-_

"Alanna, it's not really unexpected. No one will give it more than a seconds thought. I'm sure more than half of the court ladies will not be sleeping in their own beds tonight." Alanna grumbled,

"Well, I will be." Gary laughed and said,

"And that, my dear, is why you are not just a court lady." He gave her hand a squeeze. It wasn't until then that Alanna realized that she was holding his. She blushed and said in a teasing voice,

"Well, then it is a good thing I am not a court lady or we might both get into trouble tonight." Then she realized what she was doing. _-I'm_ flirting_! With _Gary_.-_

Gary laughed heartily and looked down at his lobster red squire and said,

"Ah, but there is still time enough for that." Alanna gasped indignantly and pinched Gary's arm, hard, through his tunic. He winced and moaned as he unlocked the door to his room,

"I am not sure I deserved that." He commented dryly.

"I am quite sure that you did." Alanna said primly and minced into the very messy room in front of them. She turned to Gary and said tartly,

"You need to learn to clean up after yourself, Gary." She picked up shirt and crossed to his dresser. She folded it and turned back to face him. "It makes your squire unhappy to have to work hard." Gary shut the door behind him and leaned against it watching Alanna tidy. He said,

"You're turning into a proper court lady. Any time now you'll be married to an old man with more money than you can count." Alanna glared at his and threw a pillow in his face. She said,

"I will not."

Gary grinned wickedly and took a step forward from the door,

"Will too."

Alanna felt herself move a step closer to him. Was she actually moving?

"Will not."

Gary stepped once more, they were almost in arms reach,

"Will too."

Alanna swayed unsteadily and tumbled forward into Gary's arm. She looked blearily up at him,

"Will n-"

But something happened to make Alanna stop mid-sentence.

* * *

_Authors Note: Sorry this chapter took me a while to get out. A lot of stuff has been going on in my life lately, so writing hasn't been the easiest. As a reward for sticking with me I promise to update very soon. Depending on how inspired I get I may pump out another chapter today. And yes, the Out-of-Characterness in this chapter is meant to be there and will be explained shortly._

_Cheers,_

_Hannah_


	5. Chapter Five

_Thank you's:_

_professionaldooropener: Wow, three awesome's in a row! Thank you very much! I hope that you will review again. I'll be eagerly waiting to see if you do. :-)_

_jollyrancher-j2k: Fluff is always good! Not much fluff in this chapter but it will be there eventually. Sorry about the Raoul thing, momentary lapse in concentraition, perhaps? Thanks!_

_Pussin Boots: Yeah, it might have been a bit rushed, I agree. Sorry about that, I just really wanted to get on to more of a plot. You'll see more in this next chapter. Thanks for reviewing!_

_GSCer: grin You're a clever one. Read on to see which one you got correct. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_Razzle-dazzle-me: Yeah, I'm a nasty little girl that likes cliff-hangers, I admit. Sucking up never hurts! Haha. Thanks for reading and reviewing._

_Devious Sorceress: I shall never tell! Oh...wait, I will. Read on to find out! Thanks for reviewing!_

_Andy-c.o.: Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. Hope you'll like the next one as well._

_epobbp: I did! And now I shall again. Hope you'll like this one as much as the last._

_Speaky: Yes! Just for my very special Speaky, whom I love. Yeah, not sure where Raoul came from. Maybe he magically transported himself there just to confuse the readers...or maybe Hannah was just kind of tired. Thanks!_

_green pea soup: Glad you liked it. Sure, I'll read your story. I can't say that I'm a big fan of Ally, but I'll give it a go anyway. Thanks for reading!_

_Psycholioness: Thank you ton's! I think it's better too. I think fan fiction are a good exersize for learning to write better. Glad you liked it!_

_ALL: You all rock majorly. kiss_

* * *

**CHAPTER FIVE**

A loud pounding on the door interrupted Gary and Alanna from any further bickering.

"Gary?" A voice called in a demanding voice. Alanna's eyes widened in panic.

"They can't see me! Th-they might guess." Gary shook his head and whispered quickly.

"No one knows you're my squire, remember? And they saw you accompany me to the dance. It'll be fine."

"Gary, open the door." The person banging on the door said forcefully. Gary gave Alanna a reassuring look and opened the door.

"Mithros," He said in shock when he saw who was standing outside his room. "How did you get here?"

He pulled the door open and reveal Prince Jonathan standing there, looking rather flustered.

"Father decided to bring me at the last minute. I'm afraid to say I missed the jousting, though. I hear you put on a good show, how many did you--" He trailed off as his eyes fell on Alanna. His cheeks reddened. He gave a quick bow, "I'm sorry cousin. I didn't think..." He turned quickly and made to leave the room.

Alanna sighed in relief and sank down wearily on the bed. "I would have expected you of all people to recognize me. Seeing as I'm the only girl you know with red hair and violet eyes." She commented dryly. Jon stopped. He turned and looked at her again.

"Alanna?" He said incredulously. "Wow, you look-I mean, you..." Alanna felt suddenly felt the urge to hit him, but held herself back.

"Stop stuttering. It's unattractive." She said simply. "Now if you don't mind, Gary, I'm going to try to get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning." With that she stood and walked to the joined door before opening it and disappearing into her room. She hesitated for a moment then pressed her ear against the door, listening intently. She pushed her Gift at the door and with a whispered word was able to see into the dimly lit room. The two men were standing in the room about a foot apart.

"--might have told me!"

"I didn't think she'd agree to dress as a girl. I only asked because, well, I thought it might be fun."

"Did she have fun?" Jon asked in a unconvinced voice.

"I don't know." Gary said slowly.

"Mithros. She's...gorgeous." Jon said, running his fingers through his black hair.

Alanna winced. She didn't want Jon thinking of her in that way.

"I know," Gary said looking and sounding miserable, he sunk onto the bed. "I hadn't counted on that when I asked her. She's so different now, Jon. But at the same time..."

"Do you like her?" Jon asked quickly, he looked shocked and stern.

"NO!" Gary denied quickly, turning red. Alanna heard Jon give a disbelieving snort and Gary sighed. "I...don't know. Mithros, Jon, She's my _squire_!"

Jon quickly said,

"You're right, nothing could happen between you two. It would be...unethical in a sense."

Gary said in a confused voice,

"But," He took a deep breath and said in one breath. "I kissed her, Jon."

"WHAT!" Jon yelped.

"I know," Gary moaned miserably.

Alanna, frowning, pressed her ear harder to the door, her heart thumping uncomfortably in her chest.

"I don't know what came over me. We had just been dancing and it just felt right." Alanna strained to hear what he said next in a very quiet voice, "She felt right."

"Well it's not right." Jon said in a stern voice and started pacing. "You're her knight master."

"I know. I don't know what came over me." Gary said quietly, looking at his hands.

"What are you going to do?" Jon asked, sinking onto the bed. Gary shrugged looking helpless.

"What can I do?" "Stop thinking of her as a woman." Jon said quickly, "It's the only thing you can do."

"I don't know if I can do that, Jon." Gary said looking at the man, his friend, standing in front of him.

"You have to" Alanna heard Jon say, rather curtly. "Look, I'm going to take off. You get some rest. Maybe we can ride back together."

Alanna took her ear from the door. Unsure of how she should be feeling just then. Beautiful? Her? She didn't even know how to dress herself! She'd had to get a maid to help her. She looked at herself in the mirror. She looked okay, she supposed. But she was no ravishing beauty. Most of the women in there had been much better looking than her. None of the other men had looked at her for long, too wrapped up in their choice of partners. Just what had Gary meant when he said she was different? What did it matter if she looked good in a dress? Would it have been different if she had looked horrid? When Gary kissed her did he only do it because of how she looked?

Alanna heard a knock at her door and jumped back in surprise. She tried to school her face not to look guilty or concerned. She called in a shaky voice that made her wince.

"Come in." Gary opened the door and poked his head in.

"Can I talk to you, Alanna?" He asked, his cheeks rather red. Alanna felt her temper flare and then fade as she noticed the nervous look on his face. She rubbed her head and nodded. She gestured for him to take a seat on her bed, which he did, sitting stiffly, looking acutely uncomfortable. Alanna sunk down next to him, heedless of her wrinkling skirts.

"What can I do for you?" Alanna asked innocently and forced a yawn. Gary looked even more nervous.

"I just wanted to apologize. I treated you in...a very unprofessional way." He struggled for words. "I guess I need to remember that while you're my-" he paused, "my friend that you are my squire as well and I--"

Alanna cut him off.

"Are you here to apologize for kissing me, Gary?" She asked bluntly, watching his cheeks go pale.

"Yes." He said, looking away from her. "I am. I shouldn't have Alanna and I didn't mean to. It just...happened and--"

Alanna held her hand up to quiet him,

"Just forget it, Gary. It didn't happen." She said resolutely. Then she added firmly, "I'm tired. I'm going to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Gary stood quickly and walking to the door, turned to look at her.

"Goodnight, Alanna." He said sadly before shutting the door quietly.

* * *

Alanna awoke to knocking on her door. 

"Who is it?" She moaned into her pillow.

"It's Jon." A voice said. Alanna sat up and rubbing her eyes walked in her night shirt to the door. She opened it looked blearily at Jon. She steered him in quickly, just in case someone was watching.

"What do you need, Jon?"

"I wanted to talk to you," He looked uncomfortably at her outfit, "but this seems to be a bad time..." Alanna waved her hand and stumbling to her wash stand threw water over her face. She took a sip of water and turned to face Jon, feeling a bit more awake.

"What do you need to talk about?" She asked, pulling out and sitting on the chair in her room.

"Gary." Jon said simply.

"What about him?" Alanna said cautiously.

Jon shifted uncomfortably. He averted his eyes and asked,

"Did you drink the wine last night?" Alanna blinked, not comprehending,

"Yes..." she said slowly.

Jon said in a rush,

"Someone drugged it. They infused it with Holly leaves, they lower a person's inhibitions."

Alanna felt the color drain from her face. She thought back on last night and the kiss Gary had given her. _After they had kissed!_ She gulped. She remembered the two of them steadily getting closer and closer before Jon had knocked on the door, interrupting them. She thought back on what Maude had taught her about Holly leaves. They wore off quickly if only a small amount was consumed.

Jon continued nervously,

"I'm worried he's...er...going to make advances on you."

Alanna glanced up sharply at her friend.

"Jon you don't need to worry about that. Even if Gary would try to do something like that without my consent, which he would never do, do you think I would let him? I may be little but I can still beat him at sword."

"I just want you to be careful." Jon said earnestly. Alanna stared at him in shock and growing anger.

"Jon," She said tightly, trying to rein in her temper. "Gary is my friend and knightmaster. He would not going to use me." Her words bit into the air and Jon visibly flinched at the cold tone.

"I'm just looking out for your well-being." Jon said defensively.

"Well stop. I can look over myself just _fine._" Alanna said and standing went to open the door. She held it open.

"I trust you can find your way to the door without insulting another friend?" She asked acidly. Jon stood and walked to the door. He turn around as if to say something but Alanna bowed stiffly. "By your leave, your Highness." She snarled and shut the door with a resounding snap.

* * *

Alanna felt her emotions wheeling out of control. _How dare he insinuate something of that nature_? 

She splashed water on her aching face. She could feel the traces of the wine gripping at her, although she had only consumed one glass. She winced, imagining what might have happened had they consumed more. She could imagine that there were many ladies whose reputations were in jeopardy now.

What confused her the most was Jon's reaction. He had acted as though he thought that Gary was some court womanizer. Yes, Gary had some experience with women, much more than Alanna had with members of the other sex, but he was hardly the man Jon made him sound.  
She gritted her teeth angrily. Had this been what the Goddess had been warning her against? If that were the case Alanna would much rather that She had just come out and said it. It would have spared a lot of trouble. She felt her cheeks go red at the thought of her behavior the night before. It did explain a lot, she supposed. Gary would never have done such a thing on his own.

...would he?

Alanna found Gary sitting in the dining room of the Inn in the late afternoon. He was hunched over his plate, a look of complete misery on his generally smiling face. He was toying with something in his large hands that Alanna couldn't quite make out.

She stepped forward and Gary jumped, he hurriedly put whatever he was holding in his pocket before smiling nervously at his squire.

"'Lo Lana." He said huskily. He rubbed his head and sipped from a large tankard in front of him. He gestured to the pitcher on the table, "Cider?" He offered. Alanna nodded and sat down next to him. She noticed his hands shaking slightly as he poured.

"You all right there, Gary?" Alanna asked her friend.

Gary sighed and handed Alanna her drink.

"Which do you want first?" He asked sullenly,

"Surely it can't be THAT bad." Alanna offered.

Gary frowned,

"First off...last night...er..." He went red and spread his hands, "see, the wine someone-"

"Drugged it." Alanna cut in grimly. "I know, Jon told me."

"Ah." Gary said, shifting uncomfortably in his chair. "The second piece of news is that...Duke Roger's fallen ill." Alanna attempted to school her face into a look of concern. Gary snorted and patted the girl's hand idly,

"No need to try to keep it from me, lass. I know how you feel about the Duke. I've known it for quite a while. Anyway, the reason this is bad for you is...you've been summoned to cure him."

Alanna's mouth dropped. She jumped up from her chair and hissed,

"Absolutely not!" Calming she sunk into the chair and demanded, "Why me? There are far better Healers than myself. I don't have anymore training than any of the other squires in the palace." Gary shook his head.

"Remember when Jon got the Sweating Sickness?" Alanna nodded slowly, "everyone was being drained of their Gift. Except you. It's the same now, everyone's Power has been sapped out of them. You're everyone's only hope. Once you cured Jon last time everyone else's power returned to them. We have a war coming, and we NEED Healers." He paused, looking at Alanna's miserable face, "I'm sorry, Alanna. I tried to talk Jon out of it but...you have to understand..." Alanna felt herself shaking. Dimly she registered Gary's alarmed face, he gently took her hands and pulled her into a stand position. He led her up the stairs and into his room.

"Alanna..." He said softly, sitting her on the bed, his eyes puzzled. "What's wrong?" Alanna shook herself mentally and looked Gary in the eye's.

"Do you remember the rumors that the Sweating Sickness had been caused by a powerful sorcerer." Gary nodded, watching Alanna intently, "There were only a few men named that were powerful enough to cast such a curse." Her eyes hardened, "One of which was Duke Roger Conte."

Gary's forehead creased,

"But Roger was in Carthak at the time. Surely the distance would rule him out..."

Alanna shook her head,

"It didn't matter the distance. If he had wanted it badly enough..."

Gary frowned and said slowly,

"Supposing Roger DID cast the Sweating Sickness, why would he put himself into a coma? What would he gain from that?" Alanna frowned and looked at her hands,

"I don't know." She said helplessly. She looked up at Gary, "Me?"

* * *

_Authors Note: Yay! I'm finally on to new stuff. No more re-doing the old. Of course the down side of this is that it may take me a little longer than normal to get out chapters. Also I'm not following the plot originally in the books. Just thought I'd clear that up. Review, it makes me happy!_

_--Hannah_


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